James D. Moore

UWS15A (171UWS-15A-1)

Spring 2017; T/Th 5–6:20pm

Office: Rabb 251

Office Hours: T/Th after class for an hr, and by appointment

Email:

Beyond the Grave: The Afterlife in the Ancient Near East

“Mortals are dead: to begin with.”Literature through the ages has been obsessed with depicting the dead, undead, and the living dead. This class will survey the literature and archaeology of Egyptian, Mesopotamian, andother ancient Near Eastern cultures to understand the various concepts of death, life, and the afterlife in these ancient literate societies. Our first paper will explore the concept of death and the afterlife in legendary texts. Our second paper will read an ancient source byusing the views on death and anxiety as studied in the psychology of religion. Finally, the class will culminate with a research paper that explores the burial practices, an ancient text about death,or a thematic topic related to the afterlife in a specific ancient Near Eastern culture.

Working Research Questions This Course Will Ask:

  1. What happens at death, and after? (Do we moderns have a better of sense of this answer than they did?)
  2. How did the ancient Near Easterner view the “self”? What is the relationship between the body and the mind?
  3. What happens to the body at death? And how should the body treated before, at, or after death?
  4. How do natural features of the human, such as breath, blood, brain, etc., relate to death?
  5. Is there an afterlife? If so, how does it relate to this (stage of) life?
  6. Can humans come back from the dead?
  7. How does God or do gods function in the perception of life and/or afterlife?
  8. How do mortality, divinity, and immortality relate?
  9. How does remembrance relate to (after)life?
  10. How long does the afterlife last?

Course Objectives and Learning Goals:

  1. To gain practice in collegiate level writing and thought.

II.To develop interdisciplinary scholarly skills of research and analysis.

III.To understand ancient texts from a variety of scholarly perspectives.

IV.To learn and to implement various critical methodologies.

V.To develop tolerance for various academic and cultural perspectives.

Required Books:

John, Laura, ed.Write Now!: Featured Essays from the University Writing Seminar at Brandeis University. Plymouth, MA: hayden-mcneil, Macmillan Learning, 2016.

Other class resources will be provided on LATTE or in handouts as needed.

Grading:

Close Reading Essay20%

Lens Essay:20%

Research Paper:40% (Paper 35%; FTA 5%)

Portfolio:10%

Participation:10% (5% participation and honesty assignments; 5% misc. assignments)

All work should be turned in on time. Late work will not normally be accepted without a penalty.

Essays and Research Paper. You will receive detailed instructions for the expectations of these assignments. They will be posted on LATTE.

Portfolio. Be sure to keep all of your work in this course. You will need to turn it back in. This includes materials from the final versions of your work to that coffee stained napkin you scribbled on in a state of caffeinated ecstasy. You may also be asked to scan copies of your textbooks and other readings on which you made notes. A detailed handout of the portfolio requirements will be posted on LATTE.

Participation. Participationrefers to your efforts in class discussions, workshops, and group participation. “Miscellaneous” assignments are handouts and worksheets that are assigned throughout the class. The syllabus, also requires that you send an “email before class” that provides a short answer to one or a few questions. Keep track of your questions. You may need them as part of the Miscellaneous grade at the end of the semester. See LATTE for a handout with further details.

This is a project-oriented course, which means that any of you who have spent your life relying on your brightness, and completing work last minute, will have to change your entire approach to writing.

Participation in this class also means that you are showing up with the correct materials for the day’s work. You should always have blank paper, a pen, a pencil, and your computer with you in addition to the necessary reading materials for the unit we are studying.

For the Honesty Assignment see handout on LATTE. It is due on Week 7 but was assigned on Week 1.

FTA (Finding a Topic Assignment) will occur at the end of the Lens Essay. See handout for details.

You must submit a final draft of the close reading, lens essay, and research paper and a portfolio assignment to pass the class; failure to submit one of these assignments could result in a failing grade.

One-on-ones:

We will meet once per unit for a one-on-one, afifteen to twenty-minute conference to discuss your paper. These will be good times for us to get to know each other a little better, for you to better understand my expectations of your work on an individual basis, and for you to explore your paper topics in greater depth. Conferences will be scheduled via Doodle on a first-come-first-serve basis, so if you are a very busy student, sign up early.

When you come for a one-on-one, bring all your materials for the essay you are working on: drafts, brainstorming sheets, questions, etc. You should have thought through your goals for the meeting before you walk into my office. I will, of course, be available outside of these one-on-one meetings, but these meetings are our most productive times together. One-on-one conferences count as part of attendance; missing a scheduled conference meeting is equal to missing a class session.

Office hours:

You should also consider using the posted office hours to periodically discuss your progress throughout the course. I’m rooting for your success!

Attendance:

Class attendance is mandatory. Should you miss 3 classes, your final grade will be docked by a third of a grade (i.e. a full grade mark). Your final grade will continue to be docked a third of a grade for every missed class thereafter. According to UWS guidelines 7 absences will result in a failing grade.

Athletes and other students in university activities:Sports events and school activities are grounds for excusable absences, which means that assignments can be turned-in early. Late penalties will still apply for any late work. To be excused for a school activity, you must inform me at least 3 days in advance by email and CC your coach or activity director. I may “reply all” to the email to follow up on the absence.

The Writing Center:

The Brandeis Writing Center offers you a free service, which aids you in the writing process. The tutors at the writing center are on your team! I will ask you to take advantage of their services at different points in the semester. Depending on the assignment, I may even allow a one-day extension on a paper deadline if you visit the writing center. Check them out here:

Technology:

Technology is welcome in the classroom. Computers are allowed in class for the convenience of note taking.If, however, a computer becomes a disruption, I reserve the right to request that the computer be turned off.Surfing the internet, IMing, text messaging, FBing, tweeting, or doing any other such activity is disrespectful during class.Turn off cell phones in class. Please be respectful with technology.

In return for your efforts, I will be responsible with technology as well. I will use presentations to assist the lectures and discussions but not to be a substitute for them.

Plagiarism:

Plagiarism is forbidden!Do not merely copy from a source verbatim without citing appropriately.Cite any paraphrased material you use.

When in class, be respectful of other student’s ideas as well. If you are discussing content outside of class, do not bring those ideas to class and try to pass them off as your own. Bring them up in class, if they are relevant, but give your classmates the credit they deserve by explaining where the idea came from.

Religious Accommodation:

Brandeis tries to blend both our US federal calendar with a Jewish Holiday calendar. The blending of these calendars is not seamless, and not all students fall into these categories. Some of you may celebrate other holy days. Make sure you are in contact with me ahead of time if you are requesting accommodation for religious reasons.

Discrimination, Assault, Triggers, Tolerance:

This is a humanities course that discusses the positive and negative behaviors of humans. Some content may be “triggers” for students who have experienced negative circumstances themselves. You may excuse yourself in such a situation, but send me an email letting me know that this was the reason for your departure. Topics change in a discussion around ever 7 minutes, so return to the class to see if the content has changed.

This class is a safe place, and discrimination or assault will not be tolerated. Any student who faces discrimination or assault of any kind, should report the incident ( Please, know that I, as an employee at Brandeis, am legally responsible for reporting (sexual) assault if a student reports to me.

Disabilities:

Students with documented disabilities should discuss this with me within the first two weeks of class. Please view and the UWS manual for more information.

How to Succeed in this Class:

  1. Attend. If you do not attend classes, you will miss vital information for assignment preparation and personal growth.
  2. Come to class prepared.Expect to spend 2 hours of prep time outside of class for each 50 minutes spent in class. If there is one week where you cannot foresee yourself finishing the assignment before class, email me or stop by during my office hours.
  3. Expect to participate. This class will be taught in a “conversational” style and contains many workshop sessions.
  4. Be open to new ideas.Grappling with challenging new information rather than snubbing it off is the best road to success in this class.
  5. Don’t procrastinate.
  6. Treat others and myself in the class respectfully.If something challenges your understanding, respond respectfully and professionally to that challenge.

Miscellany

*I reserve the right to change this syllabus as needed to accommodate learning throughout the semester. This may include changing assignments.*

**This is a 4 unit class that meets twice a week. Because conferences are mandatory, we will not meet for the full class every class session.**

Schedule

See schedule in LATTE

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